Âé¶¹Ô´´ is a place for faculty to build their academic home and unleash their potential, and we are excited to welcome them to Âé¶¹Ô´´ for the new academic year.
This fall, 137 new faculty members join Âé¶¹Ô´´, each with unique backgrounds, expertise and paths. I had the honor of welcoming them to Âé¶¹Ô´´ during New Faculty Orientation last week. They include:
- Meredith Chaput, an assistant professor of physical therapy, whose research focuses on how the brain changes after knee injuries.
- Brian Collins, a lecturer of tourism, events and attractions, and a former Walt Disney Imagineer. Collins wrote scripts and spiels for a variety of attractions, including the memorable jokes on the Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom.
- Mohsen Rakhshan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. A neuroscientist and electrical engineer, Rakhshan works at the intersection of these fields to create technologies that improve lives of people who have had nervous system injuries.
These are just a few of the incredible faculty who distinguish Âé¶¹Ô´´ for excellence and impact.

Our Unleashing Potential Strategic Plan builds on Âé¶¹Ô´´â€™s areas of expertise and challenges us to use our location and strategic partnerships to inspire innovation and discovery to advance society in positive ways.
Faculty play a key role in helping the university accomplish these goals. I am grateful to each of our faculty for the contributions they make to Âé¶¹Ô´´ every day, and for the incredible work they have done over their distinguished careers.
and the offer many resources for the professional development of our faculty. I encourage faculty to use these services and tools to advance their own growth as scholars, educators and researchers.
I also invite our faculty to connect with one another at the Faculty Assembly and Reception on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 3-5 p.m. in the Cape Florida Ballroom at the Student Union.
I hope to see faculty there as we celebrate the start of the new academic year and the bright future ahead for our students and each other.
